Chapter 190
Chapter 190
-Grayson’s POV-
25th July–Rickon.
26th July–Isabella.
27th July–Maria.
28th July–Isabella.
31st July–Ricardo.
2nd August–Isabella.
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3rd August–Rickon.
4th August–Maria.
7th August–A call from Carter.
That was the sequence in which the intervention happened. I really didn’t know if they had a schedule on who should come to talk to me or when. But I didn’t care because everything they said centered around the same damn thing.
“Things aren’t as bad as they seem.”
“You might not have your wolf, but that doesn’t mean everyone is not still scared of you. No one would dare challenge your throne.”
“You’re full of bullshit because you know Ava would never do this.”
“Do you hear me? Full of bullshit.”
“You still haven’t gone to see her? Do you know what you are putting her through right now?”
“Grayson, can you hear me? Are you even listening?”
The last four, along with some deeply colorful curses, came from Isabella in person.
Was I listening? I didn’t even know anymore. But I guess if I could replay everything that had been said to me over the last two weeks, then I must have been.
Two weeks.
Two weeks since I felt the light die out, since the happiness I had tried to grasp onto disappeared with a force I didn’t even remember. The moments that I had once cherished, the moments that had filled me with warmth, now felt like they had never existed.
Two weeks since I realized the woman I loved… Yes, I said loved. I might not have been able to say it out loud, but I loved her. I had loved her, and in a cruel twist of fate, she had betrayed me.
Weakness. That was the word my father spat out the most. ‘You show them you are weak, and they will walk all over you.‘ And I had shown Ava Pierce every vulnerable side of me. I had given her everything, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I
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could be something different. Something better. But it only proved my father right. Even more painful than the betrayal itself was the realization that what she had done had proven my father right.
Right from the very start, she had planned this. They had planned this. Right from the very first moment. How had I not seen it?
A knock sounded on the door, and I didn’t even bother to look up from the blank screen in front of me. The screen that I couldn’t focus on, couldn’t care about.
I didn’t have a clue about anything anymore. I didn’t care about anything. Everything was numb. The voices, the intervention–nothing registered anymore. I was lost in the hollow emptiness inside me.
Another knock, this time louder, more insistent. Probably Isabella. She was the most persistent. I raised my head just enough to glance at the door, but it felt like too much of a chore, so I let my gaze drop back to the screen.
Then I heard the door creak open, the sound of heels clicking across the floor. A shuffle, and then the chair across from me scraped as someone sat down. Still, I didn’t look up.
Whoever it was didn’t say anything for a while. Then, her voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.
“You’re even worse than what I heard.”
Elaine.
I raised my head slightly, just enough to meet her eyes. I expected to see the triumph that Ava was finally gone just like she wanted. But instead, she looked at me the way she used to when we were kids–like she was disappointed, like I had done something to annoy her, but she had no choice but to care. No choice but to love me.
“When was the last time you took a shower? Or ate something?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. I just kept staring at her, unsure if I was even really seeing her. The words were like static in my brain, but I couldn’t find the energy to reply.
“Have you heard what people are saying about you?” she continued, her tone sharp.
Still, I didn’t speak.
She sighed, exasperated, and stood up. “Well, if you want to be miserable, then at least complete it by drowning in your misery.” She glared at me, her eyes hard now. “We’re going out for drinks.”
The words sounded foreign. The idea of going out. Of doing something. Anything. But it felt too far removed from the man I was now, from the pain that consumed me. But she was already rising, determined, moving with purpose. I was still frozen in my chair, but she glanced at me, a quiet command in her eyes.
“Get up. We’re going.”
I looked at her stomach. It was flat, still. No sign of a bump.
I didn’t know why I was thinking about it. Why it even mattered.
Why the hell did I even care?
“Grayson Stephen Blackwood.”
The use of my full name hit me like a punch to the gut. It pulled me out of my thoughts, but only for a moment. I glared at her, the anger bubbling up with sudden intensity. “I told you never to call me that name.”
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Chapter 190
She didn’t flinch. “He still speaks. Thank the Moon Goddess.”
The glare fell away instantly. It took too much effort to maintain it. She didn’t wait for me to reply. Her eyes softened, a little, and she gestured to the bathroom. “The fancy bathroom you built in here has finally come in handy,” she said, her voice more gentle now. “I’m not walking around with you looking like this. Please, take a shower.”
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I didn’t remember the last time I’d left the office. I didn’t remember anything except the numbness that had taken over my body. The empty hole in my chest. But her words… her tone. I stood. The action felt robotic, like I was going through the motions. I walked around the desk that suddenly seemed too large, and I picked up the suit she had brought. I didn’t even think about it. I just… walked to the bathroom.
The shower felt cold. Every movement was stiff, automatic. I barely even registered the hot water running over me. My mind was a blur, my thoughts scattered. Nothing made sense. It was as if I was watching myself from outside my body, detached, barely there.
Everything was still a blur as I stumbled after Elaine, my feet moving mechanically. I didn’t even question it, didn’t ask why I was following her. I just… did.
I could feel the stares around me, even if I couldn’t quite make them out. I knew, though–knew–that the eyes on me were filled with shock. Shock that Grayson Blackwood, once so high above the rest, had fallen so far.
Even my name didn’t feel as powerful as it used to. It felt distant now, like something I couldn’t quite reach anymore.
The bar came into view, and without thinking, I followed Elaine inside. She led me through the crowd, taking me to an exclusive, quieter area. I sat down automatically. Everything felt distant, disconnected. Numbness had crept in, settling deep in my chest.
The place was dark, dim lighting casting long shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, the low murmur of conversation blending with the clink of glasses.
Elaine’s voice cut through the fog of my thoughts. “This is Liam’s favorite bar. It was his suggestion to bring you here.”
Liam. Liam. The name hit me like a sudden realization, but it was colder now, distant. The bond we once shared, the closeness from when we were kids–it had all faded, hadn’t it? He hadn’t come to see me once, not since… well, I couldn’t quite remember the last time.
The words came out before I could stop them. “Should you be drinking? Aren’t you pregnant?”
Pregnant. The word sounded strange on my tongue. It was like the thought had finally clicked–Elaine was pregnant.
Before she could respond, someone appeared with a drink. Elaine greeted them with a quick exchange, but I wasn’t paying much attention. My eyes were still locked on the glass being placed in front of me.
“They know what to bring me,” Elaine said, her voice casual, but there was something in her eyes–something I couldn’t quite place. “The plan is to get you drunk enough, and hopefully, then you’ll talk about your feelings.” She rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips.
I stared at the glass for a moment. It felt like it was calling to me, and I didn’t even think twice. I downed it in one go, liquid burning its way down my throat. Elaine’s sad smile didn’t escape me before she picked up her own drink.
the
And that was how it started. She was right–I did want to drown. So, I kept drinking. One bottle after another. My wolf had always made my tolerance for alcohol higher, but without him… without him, everything felt all so different. The spinning
head started, but it felt almost unnatural.
in
my
I kept drinking.
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“Grayson?” Elaine’s voice pierced the fog suddenly, It sounded weak, distant, as if I were underwater. Everything kept spinning, faster and faster.
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“I don’t-” She tried again, but her words were drowned out by the increasing fog in my head. She didn’t finish the sentence, and before I could focus. I felt a sudden thud.
My vision stabilized for a moment, enough to see Elaine’s body slumped against the floor. Panic surged, and I tried to move to her, but my body felt so heavy. Like I couldn’t lift it.
“Elaine?” My voice was low and weak and the words barely escaped my lips.
Everything spun double–time, and I could feel my consciousness slipping away. My body was too heavy to sit up, too heavy to hold onto anything.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching. It was the man who had served us. His shoes came into view first–shiny black leather, polished. My head felt like it was underwater as I struggled to stay conscious.
And then, I heard it—just a whisper, but it hit me with a chill. “It’s done.”
That was the last thing I heard before my whole body went limp. My eyes fluttered, my consciousness faded, and I collapsed to the floor, right next to Elaine.
